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Issue of the day: It's only just begun, Jakartans warned
Business as usual: A fruit trader holds bananas at an inundated traditional market in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday
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span class="inline inline-center">Business as usual: A fruit trader holds bananas at an inundated traditional market in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday. Traders were badly affected by the flooding that started on Monday, causing at least Rp 1.5 trillion US$117 million) in losses. JP/Awo
Feb. 10, p1
Greater Jakarta residents have been told to be cautious over the next few days, as more heavy rainfalls are forecasted after downpours triggered floods across the capital on Monday.
Floodwaters with depths of 50 centimeters inundated several areas, including main thoroughfares, such as Jl. MH Thamrin, Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat and Jl. Medan Merdeka Utara in Central Jakarta, causing major traffic congestion.
The Jakarta Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) reported at 12 p.m. that 107 places had been inundated, mostly in West and Central Jakarta. Many families have been forced to evacuate. Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) spokesperson Harry Tirto said heavy rainfall was expected to continue in Greater Jakarta for the next one or two days.
'The rain on Monday was only the beginning of this month's high rainfall. Residents in Greater Jakarta should expect similar conditions over the next one or two days. We are entering the peak of the rainy season,' Harry told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
Your comments:
Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama, thousands, including myself, admire you and what you are doing for Jakarta, but I find this report most disturbing, especially when you state: 'Furthermore, many of the city's pumps need to be repaired to make them operate more efficiently'.
With the yearly monsoon season, why wouldn't your engineering department spend the off season ensuring that all this equipment was in first-class condition? Oh right, the funds required to repair the pumps were probably stolen.
Regarding the Pluit electric water pumps, it sounds again as if there is no thought put into anticipating problems to make sure all contingencies are covered. To mention electricity during the monsoon season is unprofessional; it is as if you do not understand floods and electricity do not mix.
If you cannot find the right people to do the job in a professional manner, employ some expatriates who can.
The above scenario is also the situation with the busway buses, which most people can see is a disaster waiting to happen.
LTB
Ahok shouldn't blame natural disasters. The government should revisit the irrigation systems for the whole city and nearby districts.
At the same time, it should educate citizens not to throw trash in drains, rivers and so forth. Such a campaign must air on all TV stations.
Two minutes is good enough. For the government, this is the kind of spending it must consider seriously. Go back to the drawing board and do a complete study on the irrigation system. This isn't rocket science.
Or, Indonesia should set up another capital city to house all the ministries, which would indirectly stimulate the economy, create jobs and so forth.
Zak
The people are able to cope well, as long as they get a rubber dinghy with an outboard motor.
Rojak
Sure, blame rising sea levels (one centimeter per year, apparently), and not the overzealous pumping up of water causing land subsistence of up to 30 cm per year.
Jakarta is sinking, and in a few years we can all enjoy using Lake Jakarta for a nice sailing trip.
Cukup
The writing is on the wall. Jakarta has become a dirty, sinking slum city due to overpopulation, poor management, rising sea levels, increased trash-dumping in key areas, runaway development and many other factors.
Jakarta needs to be downgraded as the top city in Indonesia. The obvious choice would be similar to Malaysia, establishing a new federal city like Putrajaya.
Jakarta has become too unstable and inefficient to continue being the center of Indonesia.
A city like Medan, North Sumatra, would be a more appropriate choice at this time, as it is geologically and environmentally more suitable for a stable base of government and infrastructure.
Pentel
Ahok does not mention land subsidence caused by too much groundwater being pumped out and bad planning that allows development in recharge areas.
These are long-term problems that someone is going to have to face up to and deal with
eventually.
Kuninganan
Anyone have an idea about why the value of real estate keeps rising in places like Kelapa Gading, where flooding seems to be the worst?
Bobby Gomez
